Letter: Jindal has let La. taxpayers down
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The Bobby Jindal I supported — even with regular $50 checks through both his two campaigns for governor — has let me down. More importantly, he has let the taxpayers of Louisiana down.
He pledged, during his campaign, not to support a legislative pay raise unless it would take “effect after the next election so the public can decide who deserves the compensation.” Yet the more-than-doubling pay raises take effect immediately.
He even tried to take credit for the repeal of the “Stelly” tax — an outright lie. He opposed it and only agreed to let it become law if it would become effective Jan. 1, 2009.
He has allowed legislators to continue burdening taxpayers with tens of millions of dollars of outright “pork.”
He could veto them all, and still could do so — after they have gone home.
I even wrote a letter to his transition chairman offering a way to help solve the critical health problem in so much of rural Louisiana — a plan several of us have worked on for 20 years — but never even got a response.
I’ve spent my life trying to make Louisiana — politically, educationally and economically — a decent place to live. I keep hoping we will elect a leader who keeps his word to work for the people, not himself.
We succeeded a few times — Sam Jones, Robert Kennon, John McKeithen and Buddy Roemer, who made real contributions, even with some flaws.
But Bobby Jindal, unless he changes course, is headed for failure and taking all of us with him. I want my money back.
Edward J. Steimel
retired president, La. Assn. of Business and Industry
Baton Rouge
He pledged, during his campaign, not to support a legislative pay raise unless it would take “effect after the next election so the public can decide who deserves the compensation.” Yet the more-than-doubling pay raises take effect immediately.
He even tried to take credit for the repeal of the “Stelly” tax — an outright lie. He opposed it and only agreed to let it become law if it would become effective Jan. 1, 2009.
He has allowed legislators to continue burdening taxpayers with tens of millions of dollars of outright “pork.”
He could veto them all, and still could do so — after they have gone home.
I even wrote a letter to his transition chairman offering a way to help solve the critical health problem in so much of rural Louisiana — a plan several of us have worked on for 20 years — but never even got a response.
I’ve spent my life trying to make Louisiana — politically, educationally and economically — a decent place to live. I keep hoping we will elect a leader who keeps his word to work for the people, not himself.
We succeeded a few times — Sam Jones, Robert Kennon, John McKeithen and Buddy Roemer, who made real contributions, even with some flaws.
But Bobby Jindal, unless he changes course, is headed for failure and taking all of us with him. I want my money back.
Edward J. Steimel
retired president, La. Assn. of Business and Industry
Baton Rouge
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